The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-20
petent to tell the things he saw and that he was
truthful man. Chairman Gross decided he
should be heard

Mr. Swift-You may state what cases Of i'll treat
me Tn Of ftp patients # any, you saw there.
second or third day / there at my last confne-
ment. We were taken out for exercise. We marched
two-and-two. and walked mile and half two
miles altogether noticed small man, club-footed
and pigeon-toed apparently very harmless and nof-
fensive man. 1t was great trouble for him to walk
Ii hustled him to keep up with us. called Dr. Ihom-
ass attention to him, and said he ought to let that
man go out as trusty, and said !woud see he ddnt
off. The Doctor laughed and turning to at
tendant, said that the once a trusty and
should not be back with the ward marching walking
| The attendant said that when he was a trusty he
spent portion of his time sitting on the front steps
to the main entrances that fault found with that
and on that account he was put back to march DR..
instance was the case of Capt. James Buchanan of
this city. was personally acquainted with him be-
fore went there The second day after was there
we were in group together. He reached out his
hand and spoke to His face disfgured
did not recognize him. One of the attendants told
who he Next day, at exercising. he again
looked at me and spoke. He raised up and gave me
fraternal sign that I recognized 1 went to
him. He sat down sideways and wanted me to give
write anything; that had been in back ward myself
and knew how they were treating him. II will get
You out of it, said As ! left him he became e5-
cited. mp and began to speak to His attend
ant ordered him in rough language to sit down. He
raised stick about like walking stick and told him
to sit down. Another attendant said CO d-n
you, sit down. and they showed him down. He sat
down sideways. One said, &c d-n you, sit up
straight The Captain said: For Gods sake let me
Thomas about that. said afraid he receiv-
| ing bad treatment; Next day 1 saw him marching
self along as if crippled Not great while after that
he sent home and died. Two three days after
that patient was sitting seat when an attendant
erked his hat off and slipped it to attendant be-
| hind him.
| Mr.. Thayer went on to describe how this poor
| crazed man was teasec and tormented by these
| cruel attendants. The sport was keenly relished
| by the dastaraly tormentors, and his helpless
W. fOp, much mil nth ho6
! this same patient teased a number of times by
| the attendants. The witness spoke of other
cases of bantering and tormentng patients.
| There was a patient whose finger nails it was
| necessary to clean, and it had to be done by
| force. as he would refuse to open his hands. He
saw the attendant slap this patient several times
| in the face. Another case was that of an cpl
LEIPZIG patient who was placed to sleep in
| the same room where the witness was,
The witness said the poor fellow had five or six
| fits during the night, and kept them all awake.
| Next morning the epileptic wanted to lie in bed,
| as he was exhausted, but the patient was made
the same number of fits On the third night
| they put him in q room by himself On the
| morning following he would not put on his slip
| pers, that kind of obstinacv not being unusual
among insane people Mr.. Thayer said the at
| tendant then slapped and beat the epileptic,
| some of the convaescent patients assisting in
the Shaping. This treatment made the epileptic
| worse.
Mr.. Thayer was asked if he had any complaint
| OF Ill treatment to make on his own account.
| His answer stamps his sanity, for the insane
| only think of themselves, not of others. He
| said: mo; in my case it is too trivial to men
tion." He said that profanity by attendants
| among themselves and to patients was of com
mon occurrence.
Q-What is the fact as to patients being required
to keep seats and be quiet?
AIN the ward they sometimes compelled
to keep their seats when it was unnecessary / am
| nervous active man. and they compelled to keer
my seat when l felt like walking to and fro in the
| ward. Twas there the second time not quite three
| weeks.
Samuel A. Brokaw, who had been the super
| intendents secretary, and afterwards for shor,
| time in the storekeeper's department, was en-
ployed at the hospital from 1883 until April
| 1855 He was shown the following letter, and
| testified that he received it in answer to one
he wrote out of curiosity while acting as secre
! tary:
MELIEN & Co.,
Bedding Supplies. Importers and Mani of Horsehar
| lA2 and LA Worth St., New York City.
| New YORK March 2, 1885.
Samuel q. Brokaw. Secretary Indiana Hospital fol
| Insane:
In reply to your letter of the 26th ult., we stat
that on the 10Th of JAM, 1884. sent you checl
payable to the order of the Indiana Hospital for thu
Insane for $64 II, for discount bill that 20,
had settled about that time and had overlooked tn
matter of discount. The check paid and Endorsed
by 2. NJ. Gapen. treasurer.
| We remain, very truly, MELLEN & Co.
This is the money that never was turned int
the treasury. but ran into somebody's pocket
Mr.. Gapen testified that he paid it to DIR
Fletcher, and the Doctor makes the ragged
edge still more agoniZing by saying he never re
ceived any money from Mr.. Gapen at any time
and then saying if he did he gave receip
therefor. The witness said that it was Mr.
Wilhelm and Mr.. Roth who gave him his frs
intmation of this discount.
j. H. Tilcer. expert in boilers, was tn
next witness. He is foreman of the boiler sho
at Brightwood and has been in the bushes
for thirty years.
Off a contract called for charcoal No. 1. So Oo
tensile strength would charcoal No. so 600 tensil
strength answer the purpose!
A.-No. sir; it would rot.
l. Off iron in sheets that was to be stamped cam
unstamped except on few sheets, what would tina
indicated
Alt would probably indicate that it was not wha
the contract called for. Iron should be stamped
| the stamp is called for. When stamped it is usual
warranted according to stamp.
| Off, in rivetng boilers the iron would break GA
clear to the rive hole would you call it rstcass iron
A-No sir.
say % - '''ppns 'D' '''A 'p''''' "A"' "'A'0 "
A.-That it was a very poor quality of iron.
Q-Is sandcracked material good to put in boiler
| Att is not.
| OFF the edges of iron sheets were Illuminated an
blistered what would you say to such irona
oWba water AZ cond be forced through bo rIe
at one hundred pounds test!
Al should say it was defect in the sheet.
Q.-What do you say of one hundred pounds pres
ure to a boilerl
, Att should be 65 900 tensile strength.
g els it true that boiler might be constructed
!, inferior iron to stand a test of hundre
pounds, and when it to be put into it woul
apparently work well at irstl Is it true tn,
such boiler would wear out sooner than made
e , frst-class iron!
Alt would wear out sooner.
Lawrence Swartling, florist at the Hospit
for the insane testified. He will have been
| the hospital six years next month in care OF til
lawns and greenhouses. He testified that wit
the exception of sale OF flowers and plants,
| 1881, to DR.. Tarlton, who paid S. for them. I
flowers had been sold since he, the witnes
came. That was when he first came
y Q-Had anybody got any flowers since that tim
I, | A.-Dr. Harrison got some in the spring of IS
- about So. so worth-and some cut flowers in Sc
tember about 81 So worth That was on the 9
: of September 1884. They delivered at the e
press Office here in the city by DIR. Harrisons orde